Repercussions
by white tiger freak
Summary: James is finally out of the hospital, but Samuel is still at large, hiding and waiting to strike. His threats are still very real, and that means that no one is safe. Will James make it through this time? Sequel to Repetition.
1. Stalked In The Night

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

I would also suggest reading Repetition first or this entire thing will make absolutely no sense.

Chapter 1

* * *

"AHHHH!" James screamed. His friends laughed as he squirmed around on his hospital bed. "No! Give it back! Don't!" he cried desperately. Carlos fell to the floor laughing, his helmet bouncing as his head hit the floor. Logan was sitting back, trying and miserably failing not to laugh, his face turning red as he gasped for breath. Kendall was standing just out of James' reach, holding a small black piece of plastic: James' lucky comb.

"Please, for the love of God, don't do it Kendall!" James begged, watching as his best friend moved the comb closer and closer to his hair. Kendall smirked, watching as James looked at him pleadingly. The comb was getting closer and closer to Kendall's hair. James looked like he was going to start crying. "Please, anything but that!" he shouted. Kendall laughed and threw the comb at his bed ridden friend, who quickly caught it and held it protectively to his chest. "I hate you," he pouted, sending his friends into another round of laughter.

They were interrupted as a nurse walked in, looking at them sympathetically. "I'm afraid visiting hours are ending," he said kindly. All four of the boys sighed and Kendall and Logan stood up, giving James a quick hug. It was Carlos' turn to spend the night at the hospital, so the helmet wearing singer quickly pulled down the folded up cot and flopped down onto it, waving goodbye as his friends walked out the door.

There was an awkward silence as both boys tried to figure out what to say. "So…" Carlos said, desperate to break the quiet. James snorted. "Is that really the best you can come up with?" he asked in amusement, laughing as Carlos' face turned red. "Well there's nothing to talk about," he complained. James smiled. "Sure there is. We could talk about…" he trailed off as he tried to think of something. Nothing came to mind. "Wow. We must be spending _way_ too much time together," he said frowning. It was Carlos' turn to smile. "We wouldn't have it any other way," he said happily. James grinned and the two lapsed into silence again.

Carlos looked at the small digital clock by James' bed and faked a yawn. "9:30 already?" he asked, feigning sleepiness. James rolled his eyes. "Really? Am I _that_ boring?" he asked in disbelief. Carlos pretended to look indignant. "I'll have you know that 9:30 is a very good bedtime!" he huffed. James smirked. "Yeah, if you're, like, _twelve._ Come one, we're the Hollywood Super Party Kings of Hollywood. It shouldn't be this hard to have a good time. Maybe if it were Kendall or Logan, who aren't nearly as fun as we are, but with us it should be like a huge party." Carlos almost reminded him that he was stuck in his bed and couldn't do anything, but he stopped himself, knowing that the fact would just make James upset. Unfortunately, James was practically telepathic and knew what Carlos was thinking. "This sucks," he mumbled. Carlos sighed.

"Well, it could be a lot worse," he reminded his friend. James' brown eyes darkened and he nodded. "You don't have to tell me," he said quietly. "Aw, James, I didn't mean to-" James cut him off with a forced smile. "I know. It's okay, really." Carlos still looked extremely unhappy with himself, but he dropped the subject. James faked a yawn and looked at the clock, mimicking Carlos' earlier actions. "Well, look at the time. We really should get to sleep," he said, acting serious. Carlos smirked and threw a pillow at his friend. "Goodnight," he said sarcastically, lying down on the small cot. Despite how early it was, he was asleep within seconds. James shook his head, chuckling at his comatose friend.

Carlos was weird like that. He was always super hyper, and it seemed like he'd never go to sleep, and then he was out like a light. Not only that, but he slept like a rock. It took a lot to wake him up, something that his friends had used to their advantage time and time again. He'd often wake up to find himself covered in Sharpie ink or wearing a dress. But he always laughed it off and sometimes even put on a show. That was just how he was.

James watched his friend and felt his eyes slowly growing heavier and heavier. Soon he drifted off to sleep, praying that nightmares wouldn't plague him tonight. And for once they didn't… at least, not when he was asleep.

He was woken sometime later as the door was quietly opened. James blinked sleepily and looked at the clock: 3:47. He frowned and looked up at the figure in the doorway, trying to place the familiar figure. It wasn't Carlos; he was still sound asleep on his makeshift bed. _It must be one of the doctors or nurses or something_ , he thought to himself. A voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Logan shot down the idea. _Why would they come in at this time of night?_ Logan asked, trying to get James to use his common sense. James frowned and realized that he was right. _Then who is it?_ he wondered.

The door was quietly closed and the figure made his way towards James, trying to be quiet. "Who-" James tried to ask, but a hand shot out and quickly covered his mouth. James let out a cry of surprise as he was pressed against the headrest of his bed. "Shut up or I'll shoot your friend," a cold voice said. Everything fell into place and James' eyes widened as he recognized the voice: Stenwell.

James instantly began thrashing around in the man's grip. _No, no, no!_ he screamed at himself. Samuel couldn't be here, not with Carlos in the room. Where was the guard? James continued to struggle wildly until he heard a quiet click and saw Stenwell point a gun at Carlos' sleeping form. He froze immediately, watching his kidnapper's every movement. "Last warning," Samuel said coldly. "Next thing you do will end with his death." James stared up at him with wide, horrified eyes. Samuel removed his hand from the boy's mouth and looked at him, eyes cold and calculating. "You seem to be healing well," he mused. "We'll have to fix that, won't we?"

James stared at the door, willing someone, _anyone,_ to come in and save him and, more importantly, Carlos. But the door remained closed, leaving the two boys in a room with a sadistic creep. "You look a little tense, James," Samuel observed. "Am I bothering you? Or is it this?" he asked, gesturing the gun. James remained silent. He gasped in pain as a hand struck him hard across the face, using all his will power not to cry out. If he did, Carlos would die. He couldn't let that happen.

"Answer me when I'm talking to you," Samuel said angrily. James stared at him fearfully. "S-sorry," he stuttered, cringing as the man smiled. "Why do you seem so surprised to see me?" he asked. "I promised I'd be back, didn't I? And you and I both know that I _always_ keep my promises." James swallowed hard. "What are you doing here?" he whispered. Stenwell laughed. "I know I said it was crazy for people to try anything in a hospital, but it turns out it really isn't that hard, especially with idiotic police officers like the one that was guarding you. It was so easy to lure him away and kill him. What is the justice system coming to these days?" James stared at him in shock. "Y-you killed him?" he asked in horror. Samuel smiled at his reaction. "Well, I wasn't about to send him on a vacation, was I?" James shrank away from him, trying to put as much distance between himself and the sick, twisted man in front of him.

A movement behind Stenwell caught James' eye, and he watched as Carlos slowly raised his head, looking around sleepily. When he saw Stenwell he froze, before slowly picking up his helmet and taking aim. Stenwell noticed that James was no longer looking at him and turned around. "What-" Carlos' helmet smacked him in the face and he fell to the ground with a cry of rage. Carlos jumped up and grabbed James' arm. "RUN!" he screamed.

James didn't need to be told twice and the two ran out of the room, running towards the staircase. "Split up!" James yelled, and before Carlos could argue, he took off up the stairs, praying that Carlos would listen to him. He heard footsteps heading in the opposite direction and breathed a sigh of relief. Then another pair of feet entered the stairwell and began going up, right towards him. James picked up his pace and ran up the stairs, panting as he exercised for the first time in days. He heard the footsteps getting closer and closer and as soon as he saw a door he flung it open, slamming it shut behind him.

He looked around him, desperately looking for somewhere to hide. He saw a supply closet to his left and dashed into it, closing the door behind him. He was instantly surrounded by darkness, unable to see anything. He heard a door open and footsteps slowly walk down the hall. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," Samuel called. It sounded like something out of a horror movie, except it wasn't a movie; it was real, and it was happening to James.

James held his breath as the footsteps got closer and closer to his hiding place. His lungs were burning, but he didn't dare breathe. The stops slowed as the neared the closet. Then they passed it and continued down the hall. James let out a breath a stepped towards the door. He couldn't stay there, Samuel would search everywhere on the floor until he found him. Slowly he turned the handle and eased the door open, poking his head out and looking around. Nothing. The hall was completely deserted. James took a step outside and immediately regretted it as strong arms wrapped around him. He tried to scream, but a hand quickly covered his mouth.  
"Found you…" Samuel whispered in his ear. James shuddered and instantly began struggling as he was dragged towards the elevator. "Time to go."

The elevator door opened with a ding and Samuel shoved James forward. The boy groaned as his head slammed into the railing and slumped to the ground, dazed. Samuel stepped in after him and quickly hit the 'door close' button. Then he pushed floor one and stepped back as the elevator began moving.

As soon as they got to the second floor Stenwell reached down and grabbed the stunned teen by the collar, pulling him to his feet. The doors opened with another ding and James was once again dragged out. The lobby was deserted. There was only a receptionist, and she hardly noticed the two until they had passed her. "Excuse me, sir," she called out, "but what do you think you're doing? This boy is a patient and hasn't been checked out. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to-" Samuel spun James around and pulled out a gun, pressing it to the boy's forehead. "I think you can make an exception this one time," he sneered. The woman's face paled as she stared at the gun.

Stenwell dragged his victim towards the doors just as they opened and a bunch of security guards ran in. "Freeze!" one of the shouted. James could see Carlos behind the group, shaking and staring in horror as he saw James. Tears filled both their eyes as they met each other's eyes, one pained, one pleading, both terrified. Stenwell tightened his grip on James and pushed the gun harder into his temple. "Don't move or I'll drop him," he threatened. James closed his eyes, tears leaking from his eyes. _Please, don't let me get shot,_ he prayed. "Now throw down your guns," Samuel ordered. The guards hesitated and he pushed the gun even harder, eliciting a cry of pain from James. The men quickly dropped their weapons and watched him carefully. Still holding James, Stenwell slowly began making his way towards the door again.

As he passed Carlos he paused and gave the trembling boy an evil smile. "So nice to meet you," he sneered. Then he was out the door and pulling James toward a car parked right in front of the park. Instantly the security guards lunged for their guns and raced out the door, ignoring Carlos' screams for them to stop. They ran towards Stenwell and his hostage, guns raised and ready to fire. Stenwell cursed and hit James hard over the head with his gun, throwing the boy forward and sending him crashing into the approaching guards. "This isn't over!" he screamed before jumping into his car and speeding away. The guards scrambled to their feet and tried to take aim, but it was too late; Stenwell was gone.

Carlos, who had stood back and watched in silent dismay, ran to his fallen friend, turning him onto his back. "James? James, can you hear me? James!" James lay still, breathing shallowly as his friend cried his name. "James, come on, don't do this. Please wake up, don't do this again," Carlos sobbed. James let out a little moan but didn't open his eyes.

The commotion had brought several medical personnel out of the hospital and now they were quickly hurrying towards the boys. Dr. Santos, James' doctor, dropped to his knees and quickly checked the boy's vitals, letting out a small sigh of relief when he found James was alive. James groaned again and moved his head to the side. "James, can you hear me?" the doctor asked gently. "If you can, I need you to open your eyes. It's very important, James." Slowly James opened his eyes and stared at the doctor with pain filled eyes. "Please help me," he whispered pleadingly. The doctor nodded and turned to some nurses. "Get me a gurney, stat!" he barked. They ran off and quickly returned with the rolling bed. They carefully lifted James onto it and rolled him back to the hospital. Carlos ran alongside, clutching James' hand. "Just hang on James, we're getting you help. Just hang on."


	2. Whatever Happened to Privacy?

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 2

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Carlos was sitting in the waiting room, pulling at his hair. His helmet had been returned to him, but for once he found no comfort in the protective gear. He didn't look up as the door opened and Kendall and Logan stumbled in. "What happened?" Kendall demanded. Carlos stared straight ahead, unresponsive. "Carlos?" Logan sat down next to him and stared at him. Carlos slowly looked up at him, and when their eyes met Logan instantly knew something terrible had happened. "Carlos, you have to tell us what happened. We need to know," Logan said gently. The Latino stared at him tearfully and took a deep breath.

"I-I w-woke up and I s-saw James and s-someone else. Th-the other g-guy was holding a g-gun and was p-pointing it at m-me," he stuttered. The other boys froze and stared at him in horror. "I p-picked up m-my helmet and threw it at h-him and w-we ran. J-James said to s-split up and he r-ran upstairs. I don't kn-know what h-happened t-to him after that because I ran and g-got security. Th-the n-next time I s-saw him Stenwell w-was holding him a-and holding a g-gun to his head. H-he dragged him out t-to a car b-but those i-idiot security guards ch-chased after them, s-so he hit James w-with his gun and pushed h-him into the guards. He g-got away _again._ " Carlos broke down sobbing, burying his face in his arms. Logan pulled him into a reassuring hug and looked pointedly at Kendall. But Kendall was frozen in shock, unable to move.

 _Again._ That was the only thing going through his head. _Again. Again. Again. Again._ Stenwell had gotten to James _again._ James had almost been kidnapped _again._ Kendall hadn't been there to save him _again._ How could he have let this happen _again?_ Again. That word had been said way to much in the past week. Again and again. When would it ever stop? _James, I'm so sorry. Please be okay. Please forgive me._

"Is he okay?" he whispered. Carlos looked up at him, confused. "What?" he asked. Kendall stared hard at him. "Is. James. Okay?" He felt his heart sink as Carlos looked away. "I don't know. He passed out after Stenwell hit him but then he woke up and a bunch of doctors took him inside. They said I couldn't come with him," he said, tears streaming from his eyes. "I haven't seen him since then," he added, but Kendall was no longer listening. Thoughts of James hurt, alone, dying filled his mind. James needed them, even though they clearly weren't able to do much for him. Tonight's events proved it. But even so, Kendall was convinced that James needed them to help him, because despite what he said, Kendall knew that James needed someone to lean on. And Kendall, Carlos, and Logan were determined to be those someones.

James woke up slowly and looked around the familiar the familiar room. He groaned as his head exploded in agony and felt a hand on his chest, stopping his movements. "James, you need to stay still. You already had a bad concussion, and this certainly didn't help it," Dr. Santos said. James stopped moving and looked up at the doctor. "Am I going to be okay?" he asked softly. Dr. Santos smiled and nodded. "You should be just fine. I just need to run a few tests. Watch my finger, okay James?" James' eyes followed the doctor's finger as it moved side to side. "Good," he said with a smile. "Okay, we're going to run a CT scan just to make sure everything's okay, but I think you'll be fine." James smiled. "I'll get everything ready," Dr. Santos said, heading towards the door. "I'll send your friends in as well. I'm sure they're anxious to see you."

Not ten seconds later the door was practically torn down as Carlos, Logan, and Kendall burst in. They all ran to his side, panic written across their faces. "James, are you all right?" Kendall asked. James raised his eyebrows. "Define okay," he muttered with a lopsided smile. All three of them frowned. "I mean…" Kendall broke off, biting his lip. He didn't know what he meant. Before Kendall could say anything else, Carlos spoke up. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Now it was James' turn to frown. "Why? Carlos, there was absolutely _nothing_ you could have done. He had a gun for Christ's sake. He actually almost shot you," he pointed out. The others paled, especially Carlos, but he shook his head. "But I was asleep for most of it. If I had been awake…" James sighed. "What? What could you have done? Carlos, there was no way you could have stopped him from getting in. He… he killed the guard." Logan gasped and Carlos and Kendall's eyes widened. "W-what?" Logan stammered. James nodded sadly. "Yeah, he told me. And that's my point. That guy was trained, he had weapons, and he still… didn't stop Stenwell. But you did. Man, that was probably the bravest thing I've ever seen Carlos. You- and your helmet- saved my life."

Carlos looked at James, eyes shining with tears. "But he still got you. We got separated and he got you. And he almost killed you. And he would have gotten away with you if those moronic security guards hadn't run after you guys. But I didn't do anything. All I did was sit back and watch, while you were almost kidnapped again." A tear slipped down his face. James was silent as he was the tear roll down his cheek to his chin and then slide down his neck. It broke his heart to see his friends so broken, almost as broken as he was. He had to fix this, and make them realize how much they'd done for him.

"But that's where you're wrong. Carlos, you gave me a chance to escape the minute you woke up. You listened to me when I told you to go the other way, which made me feel so relieved it wasn't even funny. You got the 'moronic security guards' that saved me, you were there right by my side when they brought me inside, and all of you have been at my side constantly all week. So stop beating yourself up! You've all helped me in ways that you'll never know. I owe you my life." The boys winced involuntarily at his words and he sighed in frustration. "Bad choice of words. Look, I'm not upset about what you did and didn't do, so why should you be?" James let his words hang in the air and watched his friends' faces. They relaxed a little, but it was obvious they were still upset.

Before anyone could say anything there was a knock on the door. All four boys jumped and James groaned as his head started throbbing again. A police officer stepped in and they could see several others lingering in the hall. "James Diamond?" the policeman asked. "That's me," said boy confirmed. The officer looked troubled and a little nervous. "The, um, officer that was guarding you was, uh, was found, uh… dead." James closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I know. Stenwell told me he'd killed him," he said quietly. The man looked at him in surprise. "Oh… well, I'll spare you the details. It wasn't pretty." James cringed and the boys glared at him. The policeman grimaced sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm sure this has been incredibly hard on you. I'll leave you all alone for now, but I'll need to take your statements later." James nodded in understanding, stopping immediately as sharp needles of pain stabbed his skull.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything? Is there anything we can do?" the three healthy Big Time Rush members jumped up instantly at their friend's discomfort. James smirked and rolled his eyes. "Actually, there is something you can do," he said slowly. Their eyes lit up. "Anything, just tell us what you need!" Kendall said, excited that James was accepting help. James' smirk widened. "Stop worrying about me!" They narrowed their eyes and huffed in frustration. That was James for you.

A few hours later…

"Okay, James, we'll send off the test and let you know as soon as we get the results." James nodded and smiled. "Until we those results, there's not much we can do. You've healed fairly quickly and," James looked at him, hope shining in his eyes as he hung onto the doctor's every word. "I think you're well enough to go home." James' face felt like it was going to fall off, that's how big his smile was. "Really? Are you serious?" he asked excitedly. Dr. Santos chuckled at his patient's joy. "Yes, I'm completely serious. Mrs. Knight is signing you out right now. But before you leave I need to check a few last things."

"Are you in pain?" James shook his head. "Not really, I'm mainly just sore," he said, still smiling. "Good, good. Can you stand up?" James got to his feet, bouncing on his heels in anticipation. "Excellent. Now, do we need to get you a wheelchair?" James' widened. "No!" he exclaimed indignantly. The doctor laughed. "Well that's about it then. If you have any questions make sure you call the hospital. And don't take this the wrong way, but I hope we won't be seeing each other in the near future." James smiled and shook the doctor's hand. "I hope so too," he said. He followed the doctor down to the waiting room, where his friends were waiting with huge, ridiculous grins.

"Are you ready to go?" Carlos asked, jumping up and down. "Oh my God, yes!" James yelled. "I never knew that I could be so sick of a place that was supposed to make you feel good! Seriously, this place was beginning to drive me crazy!" _That and the thought of Samuel still being out there, waiting for me,_ he thought darkly. He quickly shook off the thought and beamed at his friends. "Come on, let's go!" he said eagerly. Mrs. Knight and Katie watched in amusement as the boys dashed towards the exit, running into the fresh, warm L.A. air.

James bobbed up and down the whole ride home. As soon as they reached the Palm Woods James jumped out of the car and ran up to the apartment. "James, where are you going? The doctor said you still needed to rest for a few days," Logan reminded him. James stuck out his lip and pouted, swim trunks clutched in his hands. "But-" "No buts," Kendall said teasingly. "Fine," James sighed. He moved to his dresser to put his suit up and froze, his breath hitching. "James?" Kendall asked, immediately concerned. "Are you in pain? What's wrong? James?" Wordlessly James picked up a small piece of paper, turning a shade paler with each passing second. "James?"

Kendall, Carlos, and Logan moved to James' side. He tried to hide the paper, but Carlos snatched it from his hands. James didn't even bother to try and take it back, just sat and watched as Logan and Kendall leaned in to read it.

"I hope you enjoyed your little break, James. I'll be seeing you soon." It wasn't signed, but they all knew without a doubt who had written it. "He was in the apartment," James whispered in horror. "He was in _my room._ " No one said anything, still staring at the note. Finally Logan snapped out of his shock and jumped up, running to the door and shouting for the policemen that were guarding them. There were now two guards instead of just one. The police weren't taking any chances. The officers ran in and looked around wildly, guards up. Carlos silently handed them the note and they frowned as they read it.

They looked up and exchanged glances. "We'll report this ASAP," one of them said, leaving the room. "In the meantime, go out into the living room and wait there while we search the apartment." The boys nodded numbly and moved into the living room, sitting on the couch in a daze. "What are we going to do?" James whispered. No one answered. "He got into the apartment. He got into the apartment!" he nearly screamed. He pulled at his hair, tears sliding down his cheeks. He sobbed quietly, grabbing a pillow and burying his face into it. "What are we going to do?"


	3. Epic Pool War of Awesomeness

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 3

* * *

The police searched the apartment fairly quickly, finding nothing. There was no sign of forced entry, something that freaked the boys out even more. "How did he get in?" Kendall demanded. The officer shook his head. "I don't know. He must have gotten a duplicate of your keys or something. That or someone with a key let him in." Their eyes widened at the thought. "No one we know would let Stenwell in," Kendall said angrily. "So he must have gotten a key somehow." The boys quickly checked their pockets and sighed in relief as they all found their keys. "My mom and sister are the only other ones who have keys. They're at the store right now, so I'll call them," Kendall said, heading towards the kitchen to call his mother.

"Hello?" Mrs. Knight answered immediately. "Mom, do you and Katie have your keys to the apartment?" Kendall asked. There was a pause as Mrs. Knight and Katie checked. "Yes, we both have them right here. Why, did you all magically lose yours?" she asked jokingly. "Mom, this is serious. Stenwell was in the apartment and we don't know how he got in. The door was locked when we got home. Do you have _any_ idea how he could have gotten in?" Kendall's mom froze. "What! Is everyone okay? How do you know he was there? What happened?" Kendall quickly explained all that had happened and she leaned against the wall, trying to calm herself down. "We'll be right there," she said quickly. Without waiting for his response she hung up and grabbed Katie's hand, tugging her towards the door. "Come on, we need to leave _now."_

Mrs. Knight ran into the apartment, looking around wildly. She sighed in relief as she saw the boys sitting on the couch, safe, but her heart cracked as she saw how distressed James was. He was curled up on the couch, hugging a pillow as though his life depended on it. The others were looking at him sadly, but they were in too much shock to move. Katie walked over and looked at James hesitantly, before climbing onto the couch and silently pulling him into a hug. That snapped the other three out of their shock and they instantly enveloped James in a hug, holding him as he broke down sobbing, burying his face in the pillow again.

Logan rubbed his back soothingly, attempting to calm down his distraught friend. "Shhh," he murmured, trying to control his own tears as James bawled into the pillow. Finally he pulled his face away, gasping for breath as tears poured from his eyes. He took a few deep, shaky breaths to calm himself. Finally he quieted, leaning into his friends' embraces, still trembling. "S-sorry about all that," he stuttered sheepishly. Kendall couldn't help himself; he laughed. "Wow, you are so messed up," he said, shaking his head.

"Kendall!" Mrs. Knight exclaimed. Logan and Carlos were glaring at him and Katie's mouth had gone slack as she stared at her brother in disbelief. "No, that's not what I mean," he said hastily. "I only meant that only James would be sorry for crying after all that's happened. I mean, he has every reason, am I right?" Everyone nodded reluctantly, still frowning at him. He sighed. "Man, we take everything was too seriously," he muttered. This time James laughed, a sound that brought a smile to everyone's faces.

The moment was broken as the policemen came into the room. "Mrs. Knight, can we speak with you?" one of them asked. The woman nodded and led the law enforcement officers into kitchen. Everyone was silent, trying to hear the whispered conversation, but they were too quiet. When they finally came back into the room, Mrs. Knight looked a lot more worried, but she pasted on a smile. "Anyone want pizza?" she asked cheerfully. It was painfully clear to everyone that something was bothering her, but they decided to ask her about it later. James was still in a fragile state, and no one wanted to set him off again.

"Sure Mrs. Knight," Carlos said, jumping up and running into the kitchen. Mrs. Knight looked at him in amusement. "Carlos, I have to order the pizza first," she pointed out. Everyone laughed as Carlos blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, right," he said, backing out of the kitchen. He stood there, holding his helmet uncertainly. "So what should we do until the pizza gets here? We only have thirty minutes or less, so it shouldn't be that hard to kill some time. Any ideas?" The hockey players looked at James, who stared at them innocently. "Well, you guys could go down to the pool-"

"NO!" everyone screamed. Kendall looked like he was about to jump on him and beat him. "Are you crazy? After all this you want us to leave you alone? And I feel that I must ask again, are you crazy!" James gaped at him. "No, I'm not crazy! You didn't let me finish! Geez, it's like you said earlier; we take things _way_ too seriously. I was going to say that you guys should go down to the pool and since I have to rest I can just lounge around. I need some sunlight, hospital rooms just don't cut it," he said, glaring at his friends. They looked at him uncomfortably. "Oh," Kendall said. "Well, uh, that's a great idea. Let's go." The boys stood up and walked toward the elevator, James still glaring at them.

When they got down to the pool everyone got silent. All eyes were on James as he walked behind his friends, for once looking uncomfortable with all the attention. Kendall, Carlos and Logan exchanged glances and starting waving their arms, as if pushing something away. "Nothing to see here!" Kendall shouted. "Just enjoying the lovely Palm Woods pool!" Carlos yelled. They looked at Logan meaningfully. He widened his eyes as he realized what they were thinking, but before he could protest the two had given him a hard shove, sending him backwards into the pool. Everyone laughed, turning their attention to the boy in the pool.

Camille, Jo, and Stephanie walked towards the boys, smiling, but James could still see the hesitancy in their steps. "Hi girls," he said softly, giving them a small smile. They all looked incredibly relieved that James wasn't acting super weird. Not that they wouldn't have understood, they had visited him in the hospital and knew that he had gone through a lot, but they didn't want things to be… awkward. "Hey James," Camille said cheerfully. "How are you-" she was interrupted as Logan, who had just pulled himself out of the pool, tackled Kendall and Carlos, sending all three of them into the pool. He resurfaced and punched the air, crying, "Revenge!" The girls and James laughed as Carlos and Kendall came up and grabbed Logan, starting on all out war.

James sat down on a lounge chair and relaxed, sighing in content as he felt the sun's warmth on his skin. "Man I've missed this…" he muttered. The girls smiled, happy to see him so… happy. "See you later, James," Jo said. James waved as the girls walked off and put his hands behind his head, closing his eyes as he listened to his friends splash around in the pool. He felt more at peace than he had in the past week. Everything felt so… normal. In the hospital it was so easy to remember everything that had happened, but now, lounging around the pool, it was almost as it had never happened. But it had, and he was going to have to live with it for the rest of his life.

He didn't remember falling asleep, but the next thing he knew a wet hand was shaking his shoulder. "James," someone said softly. He groaned and opened his eyes. "What?" he snapped as he woke up. "You okay buddy?" Kendall asked, looking down at his friend. James blinked and looked around. The pool was deserted, and it was starting to get dark. "Whoa. Yeah, I'm fine, I guess I was tired," he said, looking surprised. His friends frowned at him. "Yeah, no kidding. You missed the end of the Epic Pool War of Awesomeness!" Carlos exclaimed. James raised his eyebrows. "You named your little fight?" he asked. Carlos gasped looked at him indignantly.

" _Little fight?_ Little fight! I'll have know that that was the supreme master of all other water wars! That _little fight_ makes all other battles look like something that would go down between a bunch of toddlers!" James smirked. "You know, some toddlers are actually very vicious," he said innocently. "Don't make me throw you in the pool," Carlos growled. James' grin widened. "Can't. I have to rest, doctor's orders, _remember?_ And unless I'm mistaken, swimming can be considered a strenuous physical activity." Carlos glared at him, then smiled mischievously. "You're right," he said, still smiling. James narrowed his eyes suspiciously as Carlos continued. "And, correct me if I'm wrong, but can't walking also be continued a strenuous physical activity? We wouldn't want to disobey the doctor's orders, would we?" Before James could protest, Kendall and Logan grabbed his legs and Carlos grabbed him under the arms, carrying him off towards the elevators.

"Guys, come on, put me down. Guys, please," James pleaded, struggling in their grip. He gasped in pain and the guys immediately set him down, looking at him in concern. "James? Oh my gosh, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" Carlos stopped as James suddenly started laughing. "Suckers," he snickered, turning and bolting for the elevators. They stared after him in shock. "JAMES!" they screamed simultaneously, dashing after their retreating friend. They jumped through the doors just as they were about to close, scowling at the boy as he collapsed to the ground laughing. "Oh man, you should have seen you guys' faces! That was freaking hilarious!" James gasped. The three rolled their eyes. "Whatever…" Kendall muttered.

The elevator door opened with a ding and the boys piled out, chasing after James as he shot towards the door. "James!" they yelled in exasperation. James ran all the way to 2J, barreling into the apartment. Mrs. Knight let out a startled yelp and nearly dropped the boxes of pizza she was holding. "James! You shouldn't be running around, you're supposed to be resting!" He grinned sheepishly as the others stumbled in. "Sorry, I got a little excited," he said. Mrs. Knight smiled and nodded. "Understandable," she remarked. "Now, who wants pizza? It's actually here now, Carlos." The boys busted out laughing as Carlos' face reddened. "Let's just eat," he mumbled. Still laughing, everyone went to the table, taking their places and digging in as soon as Kendall's mom set down the pizza.

"Oh, James, the hospital called and said they got your CT test result back, and everything's fine." A huge cheer went up around the table. "That's great!" Katie exclaimed. James watched as everyone laughed and cheered. Yep, things felt like they were getting back to normal.

Samuel watched from his hiding place and James was carried off towards the elevators by his friends. They were all laughing as though everything was back to normal. The man chuckled as he played with the key in his hand. The same key that could open any door in the whole Palm Woods. _This is going to be fun,_ he thought as he watched the boys jump into the elevator. _Very fun indeed._


	4. Delusions Amidst a Breakdown

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 4

* * *

After dinner there wasn't much to do. The pool and lobby were closed, and since James wasn't supposed to run around they couldn't play hockey or get any swirly slide action. Finally they decided on video games, but even that wasn't as much fun as it usually was. Finally James stood up and stretched, trying to ignore the fact that everyone was staring at him. "Well it's been a long day. I think I'm going to hit the hay," he said. Carlos laughed and James frowned at him. "What?" he demanded. "Hay," Carlos said, grinning stupidly. James rolled his eyes and walked away. "Wow," he muttered under his breath.

When he got to his and Kendall's shared room, he froze, suddenly afraid. He knew he had nothing to be afraid of, his friends were right down the hall and there were police officers right outside the apartment. Plus the police had already searched the whole apartment. No one could be inside his room, there was no way humanly possible. But then again, this was Samuel they were dealing with; he wasn't even considered remotely human. He was James' ghoul in the closet, his monster under the bed. There was no telling what James would find when he opened the door. It would be like this every day until Samuel was caught and arrested or… James didn't want to think about the alternative.

Taking a deep breath, James' gently pushed the door open, watching it as it slowly swung open. He took a hesitant step forward, turning on the light and scanning every corner of the room. He quickly changed into his pajamas and sat on his bead, looking around again. There was no other movement and the only sound was his breathing, but he was still on edge. He refused to close his eyes, because he was afraid that the next time he opened them he would he would find himself alone with Samuel again. And that was something that he just wouldn't be able to take.

Back in the living room everyone watched the door to James' room, watching as it closed and waiting a few minutes. Then the boys jumped up and stood in front of Mrs. Knight. "So, mom," Kendall said innocently. "What did you and the police talk about today?" He watched as his mother sighed, looking around uncomfortably. "It was about how Stenwell could have gotten in," she said softly. The boys frowned. "What did they say?" Carlos asked hesitantly. Kendall's mom sighed again. "They're still not sure how he got in," she began, "but they think that he might have gotten one of the all access keys."

The boys frowned. "Why would they think that?" Logan asked, furrowing his brow. "Well, Mr. Bitters reported that one of his was missing," she explained. "Oh," they all said together. "You can see why I didn't want to talk about this earlier right? I mean, this would freak James out way too much. This is the last thing he needs right now, so please, don't tell him." Kendall, Carlos and Logan nodded in understanding. Kendall stood up and stretched. "Well I think I'm going to go to bed," he said. The others nodded in agreement and stood up, following him down the hall.

James was still staring straight ahead when Kendall walked quietly into the room, whispering goodnight to Logan, Carlos, and his family. He turned around and jumped when he saw James staring at him. "Geez, James, are you trying to give me a heart attack? I thought you went to bed like an hour ago!" James said nothing, still staring straight ahead. "James? Are you okay, man?" Still no answer. Kendall moved to James' side and let his hand hover above his shoulder. "James?" he asked hesitantly, grabbing James' shoulder.

His reaction was instantaneous. James jumped the second Kendall's hand touched his shoulder and screamed. Kendall jerked back in surprise while James scrambled backwards, sobbing as he hit the headboard. Kendall stood there in shock, watching as James had a full blown meltdown. "James?" he whispered. He felt like he was going to break down as well as James continued to sob hysterically and try to scoot away. The door burst open and Logan, Carlos, and Mrs. Knight stumbled in, followed by the police that were guarding them.

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Knight demanded. Kendall shook his head and pointed at James numbly. "He just freaked out. H-he doesn't even know it's me," he whispered. "Is there anything we can do to be of assistance?" one of the officers asked. Mrs. Knight shook her head slowly. "No," she murmured, "this is something we need to handle on our own." They nodded and returned to their post, leaving the five alone in the room. "James…" Carlos said softly, reaching out for his friend. James screamed again and started thrashing around. "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! NO, PLEASE! Please, just leave me alone! Please…" he whimpered. Carlos pulled back at stared at James as though he'd just been slapped in the face. "Oh my God…" he mumbled.

Mrs. Knight stood behind the boys, looking uncertain. "Should I call the hospital?" she asked, trying to hold back tears as she watched the crying boy. Logan bit his lip. "N-no, not yet. Let's try to calm him down a little bit more. If he gets any worse then you can call, but I don't think putting him around a bunch of strangers would be very good for his health," he explained. She nodded and inched towards the door. "I think I should leave that to you guys. I'm going to go check on Katie, make sure this didn't scare her too much," she said, slipping out of the room. In the hallway she put her head in her hands and let a few tears fall. She had just left a bunch of sixteen year olds to comfort their nearly catatonic, recently kidnapped friend, because she, a grown woman, couldn't handle it. What kind of mother was she? She made her way down to Katie's room in shame.

"Okay, we have to calm him down, but if we touch him it'll just set him off. I think he's having illusions of Samuel trying to kidnap him again or something, and that's why he keeps pushing us away," Logan explained. "So we just talk to him?" Carlos asked. Logan nodded. "Yes. Hopefully if we talk to him long enough he'll recognize out voices and snap out of it. But we have to be extremely careful about how we go about this. If we make one wrong move and it will send him completely over the edge." Carlos frowned, muttering, "Where exactly is he now?"

Ignoring him, Logan and Kendall moved a tiny bit closer to James, stopping about half a foot away from his bed. "James," Logan said gently. "James, I need you to listen to me, to us. It's Logan, Kendall, and Carlos. Remember us?" James looked around wildly. "Guys? Where are you? Please help me, I can't take this anymore!" he cried. Logan's heart broke as he watched his friend. "We're right here, James, just listen to my voice. Kendall and Carlos are here too, right guys?" The others nodded. "We're here, James, don't worry," Kendall said. "You're safe, we won't let anyone hurt you," Carlos added.

James looked in their general direction but he had a vacant look in his eyes. "He's going to hurt me more," he whispered, sounding like a child. "No, James, he's not. We won't let him. He's not even here right now, okay? You're just having a… nightmare. It's just us and you, no one else. No one is going to hurt you, okay?" Logan said. James nodded uncertainly. "Okay, I-" he broke off and looked passed his friends, suddenly terrified. "There he is!" he screamed. The boys jumped and spun around, but there was no one there.

"James, please, listen to us! He's not here, you have to believe us! You're mind is playing tricks on you, trying to make you see things that aren't really there! Samuel isn't here, it's just us, everything's okay!" Logan said, trying to sound calm as his distress grew. James started crying again. "No, no, no," he said over and over. "Please, no." The boys looked at each other in dismay, watching as James started trembling violently. "James, please…" Carlos begged. Tears were pouring from all of their eyes as they watched him, not daring to get any closer.

"James?" a voice from the doorway asked. Everyone jumped and turned around to see… Katie. "Katie, please, you shouldn't be here," Kendall said, his voice breaking as he stared at his baby sister. The eleven year old shook her head and stepped forward. "I want to help. I know I can help," she said gently but determined. Ignoring her brother's warnings she went right up to James and sat on his bed. "James? It's me, Katie," she said quietly. His head snapped up and he looked at her, confused. "Katie?" he whispered. "Yeah, it's me," she said, giving him a soft smile and moving hesitantly closer to him. As the boys watched in shock, he held out his arms and let her hug him, tears still streaming from his eyes.

"How-? Wait, why-?" Kendall and Carlos demanded, but Logan smiled as he realized what was going on. "It's her shape," he explained, earning confused looks from the two. "Excuse me?" Kendall demanded. Logan let out a soft laugh and shook his head. "No, I mean her size and shape is different from ours. We're big and heavy, and since James can't really see us it probably feels a lot like it's Stenwell. But Katie is a lot younger and smaller, and a girl. James probably feels a lot safer with her because she's the complete opposite of Stenwell. Get it?" The others nodded, still watching Katie comfort James.

Noticing their pained expressions, Katie looked at James. "Kendall, Carlos, and Logan are right over there," she murmured, smiling as his head swiveled and looked directly at them. "Guys?" he whispered. His eyes were slowly clearing, and he was becoming aware of his surroundings again. "I- I'm so sorry," he stammered. "I don't know what came over me." His friends smiled sadly at him. "It's okay, James. We understand," Kendall said. They moved closer and sat on the bed, watching him carefully to see his reaction. He didn't freak out again, much to their relief. Instead, he let go of Katie and held out his arms again, this time to his best friends. Wordlessly they pulled him into a hug as Katie slipped out of the room with a smile on her face. Her work there was done.

James cried into someone's shirt, (he thought it might be Logan's but he wasn't sure), listening as they whispered comforting things to him. "Shhh, it's okay, you're okay." "You're safe, you're fine, nothing's going to happen, everything's okay." "You're strong, James, we know you are. You'll get through this, you'll see." Things like that were said over and over, but even if they hadn't been, he would have been okay, because all that mattered to him was that he was in the arms of his best friends in the whole world. And although he already knew this and believed in it with all his heart, he was reminded that they would always be there for him, no matter what.


	5. Poolside Adventures

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 5

* * *

The next day James slept in until noon. After the breakdown, he'd been unable to sleep, troubled by what had just happened. How could he have pushed his best friends, the people he trusted most in the whole world, away? What scared him the most was that it had seemed so real. He really thought Samuel had been trying to kidnap him again, and he really didn't know anything that was actually going on. _You're not crazy, you're not crazy,_ he told himself over and over again. He sounded like Carlos when he was trying to hypnotize someone, and this was working about the same. Was he crazy?

When he had finally dropped off into the land of slumber at two in the morning, he'd been worried about what was going to happen to him next. But now, as he was walking into the kitchen, a new worry struck him: how was he going to face his friends?

They were all sitting around the kitchen table, eating lunch and goofing off, but the stopped as soon as they saw him. Happy, carefree looks were replaced by worried, uncertain ones as James took his place at the table. "Uh, hey James," Katie said uncertainly. He gave her the biggest smile he could manage, which wasn't much, but her face lit up and she looked like she'd just been given the key to the city. "So I guess you're feeling better?" Kendall asked hesitantly. All eyes were suddenly on him, waiting for his answer. He nodded slowly, looking away in shame as he thought of the previous night. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

The other boys smiled in understanding. "It's okay, James, really. I mean, yeah, you had us super freaked out for a while, but you pulled through, right? We knew this would happen eventually, we just didn't know exactly when it would be or what it would be like. But I think that now that it's over things will get a little bit easier," Logan said. James frowned at him, looking confused. "What do you mean," he asked. "Well, last night you showed us that you were still terrified that Stenwell would come back for you. We knew you were still scared, but now we know just how bad it is, and now we can try to help you with that fear," Logan explained.

The others nodded in agreement with Logan, but James was still frowning. "I didn't even know how scared I was," he said, biting his lip. Logan nodded again. "You're probably just repressing a lot of those feelings. It's kind of like how children repress memories of bad things that happen to them. You were unconsciously blocking out those emotions, and then you just released all the fear and confusion and all the other stuff last night. Are you getting it?" James nodded, but he still looked uneasy. "So are you saying that this could happen again?"

Logan bit his lip and everyone looked at him expectantly. "Well… I suppose it _could_ happen again," he said slowly, "but it's incredibly unlikely. Now that you've let it all out, I think that the odds of it happening again are pretty slim." Everyone sighed in relief. "That's good," Kendall said quietly. "Yep," Carlos agreed, nodding. An awkward silence filled the room as everyone looked at each other. The quietness was broken by Mrs. Knight, who came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of sandwiches. "Who wants lunch?" All four boys jumped up and reached for a sandwich. "Me!" they all yelled together. Mrs. Knight smiled as she watched the boys attack their food. This was going to be a good day, she just knew it.

Samuel looked around at the blueprints, marking things as he went. When he had stolen the key, he'd also grabbed the schematics for the Palm Woods, which meant that he knew where _everything_ was. Every room, every window, and most importantly, every security camera. Now all he had to do was plan, something that he'd always been good at. He was determined that this plan would be his best, and that when he was finished with it it would leave everyone with something that they would never forget.

With James still unable to do much physical activity, the boys had decided to hang around the pool again. No one stared at James like they had yesterday, so Kendall, Carlos, and Logan didn't have to do anything to draw their attention. But they did anyway, pushing Logan into the pool and running away as he chased after them, yelling, "I will have my reveeeeeeeeeenge!" James smirked and watched his friends run around like morons, wishing he could join them.

He sipped the smoothie he'd bought and watched everyone, savoring the normalcy of everything. He watched as Camille walked around fancy, princess-y looking dress, grabbing Logan as he ran by. She screamed something at him and slapped him across the face, practicing for a new movie. The Jennifer's walked dramatically by the pool, screaming as Logan caught Kendall and threw him into the pool, splashing them with a ton of water. Tyler was walking casually by the lobby. Suddenly he ran to the nearest trashcan and threw himself in. Seconds later his mom ran in, looking around frantically and yelling that they had an audition to get to. Everything was back to normal, and James was loving every minute of it.

He gasped as Logan tackled Carlos, launching them both into the pool and sending a ton of water at him, soaking him as his friends splashed around. "Guys!" he yelled as he jumped up. "My hair!" He walked to the edge of the pool and hurled his empty smoothie cup at them. The boys swam over and looked up at him innocently. "Oh, come on, James you're just a little wet," Logan said with a smile. "Yeah," Carlos agreed, "at least for now." They both reached up and grabbed James by his arms, pulling him into the pool. He gasped as he hit the water and came up, choking and spluttering on the pool water. "Guys!" he yelled.

Kendall smirked at him. "Something the matter, James?" he asked. "YES!" James exploded. "I'm supposed to be _resting_! And you just pulled me into the pool! What exactly were you guys thinking?" They exchanged knowing glances. "Well, technically you don't really have to exert yourself very much to pull yourself out of the pool," Logan grinned. "And you were fine when you were running away from us last night, and that was probably a lot more, uh," Carlos looked at Logan for help. "Strenuous," Logan offered, and Carlos nodded in agreement. "Yeah! That was more strenuous than this is. So ha! Loophole!" James gave them his best death glare he hoisted himself out of the pool. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around himself and turned around. "I'm going back to the apartment," he called over his shoulder. He heard them scrambling to get out of the pool. "James, wait!" Kendall called. There was a huge crash and James jumped and spun around.

Kendall, Carlos, and Logan were sprawled out on the ground. A few lounge chairs were overturned near them, and it was clear that they'd tripped over them in their haste to get to James. James burst out laughing as they picked themselves off the ground, groaning. "I can't believe I missed that," James gasped. "Oh man, you guys look so stupid!" he laughed, holding his stomach as he doubled over laughing. They glared at him as they walked over. "Let's just go," Kendall muttered, but James didn't move, he was laughing too hard to do anything. "Don't make us carry you," Carlos threatened. That shut him up, and he quietly followed them to the elevator, hugging the towel to his shivering body.

Logan noticed this and frowned. "Are you cold?" he asked in disbelief. "Yes! It's like fifty degrees in here and I'm soaking wet, no thanks to you!" Kendall and Carlos smirked but Logan still looked uneasy. "Yeah, but we're wet too, and we're not that cold." The others frowned as they realized that he was right. James shrugged, pulling the towel tighter around him. "I'm probably just sensitive or something. It's probably just from not being outside in so long." Logan nodded, but he still looked worried. "I guess…" he said, looking unconvinced. James gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Logan, really. Now quit worrying about me," he said. Logan smiled. "Whatever you say."

As soon as they got to the apartment James ran to his room. "I'm going to take a shower," he announced, grabbing some dry clothes and running to the bathroom. The boys said hi to the officers and made their way to the couch. "Don't!" Mrs. Knight yelled as they were about to sit down. They jumped up. "Dry off or change into some dry clothes first. You're going to ruin this couch," she complained. Kendall smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Sure thing, Mom," he said sweetly. "Why was James all wet?" she asked suspiciously. Kendall's eyes widened at he looked at his friends for help. "Uhhh…"

James sighed as the hot water pounded against his skin, relaxing his sore muscles. The water instantly warmed him up and he stopped shivering. He'd been feeling a little weird all day, but he'd shaken it off as nothing. Now Logan was getting concerned, which could mean nothing, but with Logan's medical knowledge, it could mean everything. He hadn't felt sick, really. Mainly he was just tired, and a few times he'd gotten really hot or cold. But that was probably just because he hadn't gotten that much sleep last night. Right? That's what he'd been telling himself all day.

He just stood there for twenty minutes, letting the warm water soak into his muscles. There was a knock on the door. "James?" Logan's voice called. James turned off the shower. "Yes?" There was a pause on the other side. "You've just been in there a while. I wanted to make sure you were okay." James quickly dried off and pulled on his clothes. He opened the door and saw Logan standing there, looking uncomfortable. "I'm fine, Logan, seriously. You need to stop worrying," he said with a tired grin. Logan frowned. "Are you okay, man? You look a little pale." James shook his head. "I'm fine, just a little tired," he said quietly. Logan's frown deepened. "Maybe you should go lay down," he suggested slowly. James sighed and nodded. "I will."

He moved past Logan and walked towards his room, stumbling. "James?" Logan asked. James didn't answer. He leaned against the wall as a sudden wave of dizziness came over him. "James?" Logan asked again, a little more forcefully. "Logan, I'm fine…" he said, taking another step forward. Without warning his knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious. "James!" Logan cried, rushing to his friend's side. "James, can you hear me? Come on, man, speak to me," he pleaded. He put his hand on James' forehead and gasped. "Oh crap," he said in horror. James was burning up, and he obviously had a high fever. "Oh James, why?" he whispered as the others came running. "What's wrong? Where's James? What hap-" They froze as they saw the scene in front of them. Logan looked up at that with scared eyes. "James…"


	6. Hospital Revisited

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 6

* * *

"Oh my God, what's wrong with him?" Carlos asked frantically. Logan shook his head, still staring at James in shock. He'd known that something was wrong with James but he'd just assumed that it was nothing but exhaustion. James had told him that he was fine, and he hadn't looked like he was lying. But whether he'd meant to or not, James had lied; he was clearly not alright.

"James, can you hear me? What's wrong, buddy?" Kendall asked, dropping to his knees next to his friend. James was shivering, and Kendall put his head on his forehead as Logan had moments earlier. He gasped and yanked his hand away, paling. "He's way too warm," he said, looking up at his mother for guidance. "Mom, what do we do?"

Mrs. Knight snapped out of her shock and shifted into mother mode. "Pick him up _gently_ and put him on his bed. Katie, go get a thermometer, some blankets, and a wet cloth," she ordered. "I'll call the hospital and see what they say," she finished. "Right," everyone said together, rushing off to do whatever task they'd been given. Kendall gently picked James up, carrying him into their room as soon as Carlos opened the door. He gently lay James down just as Katie ran back in. "Here's the thermometer," she said quickly, tossing it to Logan. He jumped at caught it, but not before nearly dropping it. He glared at Katie as he stuck the thermometer into James' mouth. Ten seconds later it beeped. "103.4," he reported. Everyone's face fell. "That high?" Carlos asked in dismay.

Mrs. Knight came running back in. "How high was his fever?" she asked as she grabbed the wet cloth that Katie had gotten. "103.4," Kendall said quietly. She paled a little at that, but she quickly set the cloth on James' forehead. "Okay, we need to get him to the hospital," she said. "Help me wake him up." They all jumped up and ran to James' side and lightly shook his shoulders. "James, wake up, we have to take you to the hospital." "Come on, man, up you go." "We need to get you to the doctor, sweetie." "We need to go, that's the only way you'll better." "James." "James." "James!"

James groaned and moved his head to the side but didn't open his eyes. "James?" Mrs. Knight asked. "Sweetheart, can you hear me?" James groaned again and slowly opened his eyes. "What happened?" he mumbled. "You passed out in the hallway," Logan said quietly. James frowned. "Oh."

"Oh? Oh? You just passed out and you have a fever of 103 point freaking 4 and all you can say is oh?" Carlos exploded. James blinked, but before he could respond Mrs. Knight interrupted them. "Guys, we need to take James to the hospital _now_. Save it for later," she scolded. Then she spoke to just James. "Do you think you can walk?" He nodded and stood up. "Yeah, I-" he stopped suddenly and clutched his head, groaning. "Are you okay?" everyone yelled at the same time. James nodded and groaned again. "Yeah, I just stood up too fast," he explained. "Well let's get going. Boys, help him," Mrs. Knight instructed, wrapping a blanket around his shoulder and heading for the door.

The police officers in the hallway glanced up as everyone piled out of the apartment. "We're going to take James to the hospital, he's sick," Mrs. Knight explained, not even stopping to talk to them. Katie followed right behind her mom, then Logan, the Kendall, who was supporting James, and lastly Carlos. They all went to the rental car as quickly as they could with James stumbling along. As soon as they reached the car the piled in and Mrs. Knight sped off.

Kendall paced around the waiting room anxiously. "Where is he?" he muttered. As soon as they had walked in James had been whisked off to some room to be looked at by the doctor's and they hadn't seen him since. It made them nervous when they weren't with James, because anything could happen while they were apart. Finally a nurse walked in. "James Diamond?" she asked, looking at a clipboard. The Knights, Logan, and Carlos jumped to their feet. "That's us," Kendall said. "Right this way," the nurse said with a kind smile. They trailed behind her, looking at each other nervously. They all followed her down a hall and she stopped in front of a room. "He's right in there," she said. The boys looked at each other and took deep breaths before entering the room.

"Hello," Dr. Santos said as they stepped into the room. James was lying on a bed, smiling at them. He looked exhausted and a little pale, but very much alive. "Hi guys," he said cheerfully. Carlos rolled his eyes, but he was smiling with everyone else. "How are you doing, man?" he asked. James frowned. "I'm not sure," he said thoughtfully. "Ask him," he said, pointing at the doctor. Dr. Santos looked up and smiled. "James is going to be fine. He did have a very high fever, but we managed to bring it down with some antibiotics. He just has a little virus, and although his immune system is a little weak, he's going to get well. In fact, just let me write up a prescription and you can be on your way."

"Good," James said with a childish grin. "Because frankly I don't think I could stand it if I had to stay here again." Dr. Santos laughed. "Here is this," he said, handing a piece of paper to Mrs. Knight. "And I hope you get well soon. Oh," he said as he suddenly remembered something. "Remember, don't run around for a few more days, especially now. Just rest," he said, putting a lot of emphasis on his words. James smirked at Kendall, Carlos, and Logan looked at him sheepishly. Mrs. Knight was glaring at them, and Katie was biting her lip, trying hard not to laugh.

"You got it, doc," James said, jumping up. "Whoa!" everyone yelled as he teetered. "I'm good," he said as he steadied himself. "Just need to stop standing up so fast." The doctor nodded. "Yeah, that would probably be a good idea," he said, smiling. James stepped toward the door, and turned around, jumping up and down impatiently. "What are you guys waiting for?" he demanded. "Let's go!" Laughing, Mrs. Knight thanked the doctor and the group followed James as he practically flew out of the hospital.

"Feeling better?" Logan asked, raising his eyebrows as James skipped next to him. "A little," he admitted. "The medicine he gave me really seemed to help, and I'm not cold anymo-" he froze as they came into view of their rental car. "Cold feeling just came back," he whispered. "James, what's-" Logan broke off in a gasp as he saw the car. Every single one of the windows was smashed, and the windshield had a ton of cracks in it. All of the tires had been slashed, and there numerous dents all over the metal. "Guys, why did you stop? We should probably get James home…" Kendall trailed off as he saw what had stopped them. "Oh no…"

James took a few hesitant steps toward the wreck that was their car. "James, wait! We should wait for the police, it may not be safe!" Logan called. James heard someone walk up behind him and looked back to see Carlos coming towards him. "I'll look with you," he said quietly. James nodded and began to look around the wreckage. He heard someone sigh behind him and then Kendall and Logan joined them. "I got to get new friends," Kendall muttered. Logan stared at him weirdly and smacked him on the back of the head. "That's my line!"

James rolled his eyes as he listened to his friends bicker. "Really, guys?" Carlos said, frowning at them. They stopped fighting and looked at him in surprise. "Wow, Carlos," Logan said, looking a little impressed. "Someone's grown up." The Latino's eyes widened in horror. "NO!" he wailed. "Anything but that! Look what Stenwell's done to me! AHHHHHH!" Kendall sighed. "Stenwell's don't stuff to all of us. No one knows that better than James, right?" he said, turning to his tallest friend. "James?" But he didn't receive an answer. "James?" Kendall asked again, looking around. James was nowhere to be found. "James?" he asked, beginning to panic.

"Over here," came a quiet reply from the other side of the van. The boys ran over and saw James kneeling over. "What is it?" Carlos asked hesitantly. James held up a small piece of paper. It read: This is only the beginning. It was the exact same handwriting as the note that had been left in the apartment. "He found us again…" James said softly. The other boys watched him carefully for his reaction. They didn't want him to break down in the hospital parking lot.

James stood there in shock. _How does he keep finding me?_ he thought to himself. Everywhere it went it seemed that Samuel was there. The hospital, the apartment, the parking lot? What next? The supermarket? "How does he keep finding me?" he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. The boys exchanged worried glances; they had been wondering the exact same thing. Stenwell was now a full fledged stalker.

"Don't worry James," Carlos said, but he didn't sound very certain. They heard someone running towards them and looked up to see security running towards the scene. They took everyone's statements and assured them that they would be on the lookout for Stenwell if he came back, but everyone knew that he wouldn't unless James came back. Mrs. Knight called a taxi and soon they were all back home. The officers guarding 2J told them that everything had been calm in their absence. _Of course not,_ James thought bitterly. _I wasn't home._ "I'm going to go lay down," he mumbled, pushing past the officers and running to his room. He threw himself onto his bed, sure that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep anytime soon. The next thing he knew he was fast asleep, lulled by the peace and quiet.

Samuel hovered over the blueprints, mentally taking notes. The little stunt he'd pulled on the car had set him back a few hours, but it was worth it knowing that he was continuing to push James closer and closer to the edge. And a few hours were nothing; his plan was nearly complete, and soon enough he would enact the final part of his revenge. When he was through, no one would ever underestimate Samuel Stenwell ever again. Too bad James wouldn't be alive to see everyone's reaction. James Diamond would die by Samuel Stenwell's hand. _That,_ Samuel assured himself, _was a promise._


	7. Oh No

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 7

* * *

Kendall, Carlos, and Logan lounged around the apartment, trying to be quiet. Mrs. Knight and Katie had left a few minutes earlier and James was asleep in his room. "So what are we going to do now?" Carlos finally asked. The others looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Logan asked. Carlos sighed. "No matter what we do Stenwell always manages to find a way to get to James, and I'm not sure that he can take much more of it. I mean, look at him. He's not as happy and full of energy as he used to be. You guys saw him the other night, and remember how he was in the hospital? Stenwell is really getting to him. So what are we supposed to do?"

Before either of them could answer they heard a shout from the hallway. They looked at each other in confusion. There was a bunch of thuds and a few muffled sounds and then everything was silent. "What-" Suddenly the door flew open and in stepped… Samuel. The boys gasped and jumped back, staring at him in fear. "W-what are you doing here?" Kendall asked shakily. Behind Stenwell they could see two bodies lying motionless on the floor. They silently prayed that they were still alive, but with Samuel the chances were slim.

"You can't be here," Carlos said boldly. Samuel raised his eyebrows and took a step forward. Carlos backed down and terror flashed through his eyes. Samuel pulled out a gun and played with the trigger, tossing it from hand to hand. "Why would that be?" he asked curiously. Carlos said nothing, watching the gun with wide eyes. It was Logan who answered his question. "You've done enough damage," he said coldly. Samuel laughed menacingly. "Oh, I'm just getting started," he snarled, raising the gun so that it was inches from Logan's forehead.

"Now…" he said, narrowing his eyes. "Where is James?" No one answered and he cocked the gun angrily. "I said," he spat, "Where. Is. James?" They didn't even have a chance to answer him because a door opened down the hall and James appeared in the doorway. "Hey, guys, what's going-" James froze where he stood, staring at the scene in horror. "James," Samuel grinned. "So nice of you to join us."

"James, get out of here!" Logan screamed. Stenwell spun around and swung the gun, catching him square on the chin. With a cry, Logan fell back, and would have hit the ground if Kendall and Carlos hadn't caught him. Samuel glared at him, now angry. "That," he said icily, "was _not_ a smart move." He raised the gun again, pointing it Kendall, Carlos, and Logan. "Now James, if you would be so kind to come over here." James didn't move. He was frozen in fear as he stared at his friends. _No, no, no…_

"I said," Samuel snarled, "Get over here!" James jumped and slowly walked towards the man he feared most in the world. As soon as he was close enough Samuel lashed out and grabbed James' arm in an iron grip. "Nice to see you again," he whispered. James closed his eyes as they filled with tears. _No, no, no…_

"We'll be seeing you boys real soon," Samuel said, dragging James towards the door. "And don't even _think_ of trying to be heroes, because if you do, someone will die." The boys watched helplessly as James was taken right in front of them. James opened his eyes and gave them a look that clearly said "listen to him." With heavy hearts they stood back as James was taken from them once again.

Samuel's fingers dug painfully into James' bicep as he pulled him towards the elevator. He pushed James in and hit the button, much to James' surprise. "W-we're going through the lobby? With a-all those people around?" Samuel laughed at the boy's puzzlement. "Might as well. There's nothing anyone can do to save you anyway," he said, smirking as James looked down. The doors opened with a ding and Samuel grabbed him, dragging him out.

Camille, Jo, and Stephanie were standing right next to the elevator. "Hey, James, what's going on?" Jo asked with a smile. James didn't get a chance to answer as he was dragged towards the door. "James?" Camille asked, taking a step after him. Samuel growled in frustration and spun James around, pressing the gun to his head. Jo screamed and Camille and Stephanie gasped. Everyone in the lobby looked up and the chaos began.

People started screaming and running around, trying to take cover. Stephanie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The kids at the Palm Woods were way too easy to scare. James was the one with a gun pointed at him, and they were scrambling like he was firing wildly at them. She quickly turned her attention back to James. He was staring at everything with innocent, tear filled eyes, and she instantly thought of Carlos. She'd seen the same look when they'd watched sad movies together, and now it was mirrored on James' face.

 _I'm sorry,_ he mouthed. She shook her head, looking at him with all the pity she could put into one look. _It's not your fault,_ she mouthed back. James tried to smile to show her appreciation at her words, but it turned into a grimace as Samuel pressed the gun harder into his skull. "No one try anything," he ordered threateningly, slowly backing up and pulling James with him. They passed Mr. Bitters, who had a donut hanging out of his mouth. Then they passed Buddha Bob, who froze and nearly dropped his chainsaw. James had a brief fantasy of the maintenance man saving him with the chainsaw, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had come as he was pulled through the doors.

Samuel dragged him to a waiting car and opened the trunk with the push of a button. He shoved James toward the open trunk and hit him with the butt of his gun, shoving him roughly inside. James was knocked unconscious almost instantly, but before the darkness enveloped him he had one last thought. _Oh crap._

The minute Kendall heard Jo scream he jumped up and ran out of the apartment. He remembered Gustavo's words from the time he'd stayed at the apartment while his mansion was flooded _"You guys should have taken the stairs! Much faster!_ " He instantly headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. He burst into the lobby and looked around wildly, finally spotting his girlfriend. "Jo!" he cried, running towards her. She was standing with Stephanie and Camille, and she was silently crying. "Jo, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned. "J-James," she whispered. Kendall's heart sank and he stared at her in shock. "He brought James _through the lobby_?" he asked in horror. Jo nodded and started crying again. "W-what happened?"

Kendall answered his mouth to answer but was interrupted as Carlos and Logan stumbled down the stairs. "Guys!" Logan gasped. Camille jumped on him and pulled him into a hug. "Oh Logan," she sobbed. Logan knew she was extremely upset because she didn't even attempt to slap him. "Shhh," he murmured, trying to control his own tears. "It's okay, you're okay," he said softly. Camille buried her face in his shoulder and continued to cry.

Stephanie stepped towards Carlos and stood there awkwardly. Stephanie had never been one to cry, and even now no tears were falling. But she was still insanely worried about James and completely freaked out, and Carlos saw that immediately. Wordlessly he stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, trembling. "Oh my God," she whispered.

Finally everyone pulled apart and the girls looked at the boys worriedly. "What happened?" Camille asked quietly. "Stenwell got into the apartment," Kendall answered, grabbing his hair in frustration. "Are you guys okay?" Jo asked, scanning the boys. The nodded grimly. "But he has James again," Carlos groaned, biting his lip. They all looked at each other in distress. "What are we going to do?"

James opened his eyes slowly and instantly closed them again as a wave of dizziness washed over him. He was tied hand and foot, and it felt like he was sitting in a hard, wooden chair. A door opened somewhere right and he heard loud footsteps coming near him. "Oh good, you're awake," Samuel said, his voice filled the room and echoing. _Echoing_? James thought to himself. He kept his eyes closed, hoping that Samuel would just go away, and that he would have a little time to prepare himself for whatever Samuel might do. He had no such luck, and the next thing he knew a hand was striking him hard across the face. His eyes snapped open and he bit back a cry of pain, looking up at Samuel's amused face. "You might be a somewhat good singer," he said, earning a hate- filled glare from James, "but you're a terrible actor. And besides James, I know you to well." He grabbed James by his hair and pulled. James cried out and tried to jerk away, but that only increased the pain. Finally he just sat still, staring at his kidnapper helplessly.

"What do you want?" he asked softly, already knowing the answer. "You," Samuel said coldly. "I want to make you suffer for all the problems you've caused me. You nearly got me arrested again, and you got the two idiots that were helping me thrown in the big house. Plus, I still need to make you pay for everything else you've done. I promised I would, right?" he said angrily. He was breathing heavily and his fists were clenched, but he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He smiled at James evilly and continued. "But I'll get my revenge soon enough. In fact, I even have a plan." James frowned up at him, looking puzzled. "A plan?" he asked nervously.

Samuel's grin widened. "Oh, you better believe it. See, when I was watching you and you're friends," James' eyes widened a bit at this, "I realized something: no matter what I do to you, you'll always get better as long as you have your friends." James stared at him in horror as he realized what he was saying. "No!" he screamed, struggling in the chair. "You can't!" Samuel chuckled as James thrashed around desperately. "Oh, but I can. And I will. That's the only way that I will truly break you. And as I'm torturing them, making them scream and beg for mercy, you'll know that it's entirely your fault."

James continued to writhe in his chair, much to Samuel's amusement. Tears poured from the boy's eyes as he struggled and screamed. "No! You can't, they have nothing to do with this! Please don't hurt them!" he sobbed. "Oh, but they have _everything_ to do with this, James. Who did you call when you first escaped? Who was by your side every second you were in the hospital? Who saved you several times when I came after you? Don't say they have nothing to do with this, because you and I both know that's a lie. Now," he muttered, just loud enough for James to hear him, "how to get them here."

James glared at him. _No, no, no._ The thought ran through his head over and over again. _Not them, anyone but them._ He heard Samuel gasp in delight. "Of course!" he shouted. He turned to James and gave him a smile that chilled him to the bone. "I think you'll be seeing your friends very soon, James," he said wickedly. "NO!" James screamed again, but he knew it was useless. Samuel disappeared from view for a few seconds, and suddenly something slammed into the back of his head. _No…_ was his last thought before he was thrown into a world of darkness.

Kendall and Logan sat on the couch in subdued silence while Carlos paced back and forth in front of them. "What do we do?" Carlos demanded. Their guards had woken up and were now downstairs filing a report and going over the security tapes. Mrs. Knight had already been called, and the last thing Kendall had heard from her was her breaking down and sobbing. Now the boys were all alone in the apartment, waiting for something, _anything_ , good to happen. There was a knock on the door.

Carlos stopped pacing and ran to the door, flinging it open. There was no one in the hall, but on the floor was a small DVD. On the label it said: For Kendall Knight, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell's eyes _only._ The boys exchanged looks and ran for the DVD player, quickly putting it in. An image appeared on the TV, and they all stared at the screen in horror.


	8. Idiotic Moves

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 8

* * *

James was sitting in a chair, tied up and unconscious. For a few seconds that was all that they could see. Then Samuel stepped into view, walking behind James and smiling at the camera. "Hello boys," he said cheerfully. "What's going on? Anything interesting happening with you? Because I know James and I are having a great time together." Carlos jumped up from where he was sitting and yelled, "He's unconscious and tied to a chair you sadist!" Kendall and Logan pulled him back down, shushing him and turning their attention back to the monitor.

"But as fun as this has been, it isn't as enjoyable as it used to be. So here's what I was thinking; you three could come down here. Wouldn't that make everyone happy? You guys would get to see James again and I… well, let's make that a surprise. Here's the address." He rattled off an address and continued. "Don't take this to the police," he warned, pulling out a knife, "or I'll kill James. See you soon, boys." The video cut off and the screen faded to black.

The boys looked at each other with pale, worried faces. "Are we going to go?" Logan asked. "Yes!" Carlos yelled. "We have to go, it's James!" Logan frowned. "Yeah, but it's also probably a trap. James wouldn't want us to get kidnapped too." Carlos glared at him. "Well what are we supposed to do? You heard him; if we call the police he'll kill James! And we can't just not go, what kind of friends would we be?" The two argued back and forth until Kendall finally yelled, "Guys!" They stopped and looked at him expectantly. "So what do we do Kendall?"

"Logan's right: this is definitely a trap." Logan smirked at Carlos. "Told you. So maybe we could-" Kendall cut him off. " _But_ Carlos is right too. We can't just leave James with Stenwell. Who knows what he'll do if we don't show up? And we can't call the police, which means we're going to have to be extremely careful." Carlos looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "So what you're saying is…" Kendall nodded, smiling grimly. "We're going to find James."

James came to slowly, his head hurting a lot more than it had before. He groaned and opened his eyes, looking around. He saw Samuel sitting on a chair a few feet away. He felt all the blood drain from his face as he realized that there were three other chairs right next to him. There was no doubt in his mind what, or who, they were for.

Samuel glanced up and smiled when he noticed that James was awake. "Everything's all set," he said, picking something up and walking towards the boy. "Your friends will be here any minute." James jumped and started thrashing, ignoring the searing pain in his head. "NO!" he shrieked. Samuel laughed right in his face. "Shut up," he sneered. James ignored him and kept yelling. Samuel held up the thing he'd picked up, which turned out to be a roll of duct tape. "I said," he snarled, tearing off a piece, "shut up!" He forced the tape over James' mouth, muffling his screams. James glared at him, tears of frustration rolling down his cheeks.

"You are _not_ messing this up," Stenwell said coldly. James stared up at him, defiance still written all over his face. Samuel frowned at this. He thought he'd crushed all James' bravado the last time. He'd seen James break down, seen him go to drastic measures because of his fear of him, and yet still he rebelled. He was going to have to fix that, but that would have to wait until the others got there.

Samuel sighed and turned away, walking toward the shadows. "I'll be seeing you real soon James, you and your friends. And that, my friend, is a promise." He disappeared into the darkness, leaving James alone, panicking. _Oh God, no, no, no! This can't be happening!_ James could feel his sanity slowly slipping away as he thought about what was going to happen. Samuel couldn't hurt his friends because he was right: that would break him. But more importantly, what would it do to his friends? He'd seen the way they worried about him, but they didn't know exactly how much he was hurting. What would happen if Samuel got to them? James could take the pain because he had people to lean on, people that weren't as broken as he was. But if Kendall, Carlos, and Logan had to go through the same thing, who would they lean on? Because leaning on something that's already crumbling just brings it all crashing down.

Kendall, Carlos, and Logan made their way carefully toward the warehouse. "Are you sure this is the right address?" Logan whispered nervously. Kendall sighed in frustration as he looked at his smart friend. "For the last time, yes!" he whisper yelled. Logan bit his lip and nodded. "Okay, does everyone remember the plan?" he asked softly. The others nodded and he took a deep breath. "Okay," he whispered. "Let's do this."

Logan opened the door as quietly as he could and the boys crept inside, taking in their surroundings. They saw James in the middle of the room, staring at the wall sadly. "James," Carlos called quietly. The boy's head snapped up and his eyes widened. He looked at them in utter horror, squirming against the tape that bound him to the chair. "Mmmmf!" he screamed into the gag. The boys took a hesitant step forward. "James, it's okay, we'll get you out of here," Kendall said, trying to reassure his friend. James shook his head wildly, his eyes begging them to turn around and run. They ignored the look and moved even closer. "James…"

James shook his head as fast as he could, tears streaming down his face. The small bit of hope that he had been clinging to was gone, leaving him with nothing to hold onto as he fell into a pit of despair. They were here. His best friends, his saviors, his _brothers_ , had just walked into a trap to save him. Samuel was right: it was all his fault.

His friends rushed to his side and Kendall gently pulled the tape off his mouth. "RUN!" James screamed at them as soon as the tape had been pulled off enough. They exchanged knowing glances and shook their heads together. "Not without you," Logan said, determination written across his face. Carlos and Kendall smiled at him, happy that he was finally on board with the plan, but there smiles disappeared in an instant. "How noble," Samuel said, stepping out of the shadows and leveling a gun at them.

The three boys stepped protectively in front of James, ignoring his pleas for them to run. Even if they'd wanted to, which none of them did, they all knew they wouldn't make it more than a few feet before Samuel shot them. "How nice of you to join us," Samuel said, giving them a smile that almost made them pass out from fear. "James has been so lonely, and I'm sure he could use some company." The boys looked at James out of the corner of their eyes and felt their hearts break for what felt like the millionth time in the past week. James had hung his head, but they could still see the tears cascading from his eyes. His entire body was trembling, and the boys suddenly remembered something: James was still sick.

Kendall silently cursed himself for forgetting something so important. James had still been running a slight fever and was supposed to be resting back at the apartment. How could they have forgotten? Although he had only been gone for a few hours, all three of the boys were incredibly worried about him. His health would already be terrible after everything he'd gone through, but now he was sick on top of it all. He wouldn't be able to take as much as he had a few days ago.

Samuel smiled as he saw the three healthy Big Time Rush members' faces fill with a lot more worry than they had when they'd first arrived. He cocked the gun and pointed it at James. "Grab that roll of duct tape," he ordered, looking at Carlos. Silently the boy obeyed. "And you two," he said, glancing at Kendall and Logan. "Grab those chairs," he directed, gesturing toward the three chairs in a corner. "Don't do it," James whispered. Samuel gave him a death glare and pressed the gun roughly against his forehead. "Do it _now,_ " he said through clenched teeth. Not wanting to anger him anymore, Logan and Kendall scrambled to the chairs and dragged them over. "Right there," Stenwell said, pointing to a spot right in front of James. Wordlessly they dragged them over to where he'd pointed.

"Sit," he said simply. The boys slowly sat down in a separate chair. Carlos was on the left, Logan was on the right, and Kendall was in the middle. Samuel took the gun away from James' head and grabbed the tape from the Latino's hands. "Hands behind your backs," he ordered coldly. The boys put up no resistance as he tightly bound their hands. "I'll give you all a little time to catch up. I'm not _totally_ heartless." _Yeah right._ The thought ran through all four of the boys' heads. He smirked as he realized what they were thinking but continued on. "But remember what I said earlier," he said, speaking only to James. He walked out of everyone's view and the boys heard a door open and slam shut. There was a brief moment of silence before Kendall, Carlos, and Logan started squirming around.

"That's not going to work," James murmured, not looking up. The defeat in his voice stabbed at their hearts, but they didn't stop. "James, don't worry we-" James cut Carlos off, snapping his head up and glaring at him sharply. "Don't worry?" he yelled. "Don't worry? You guys just played right into Samuel's hands! Do you know why he got you guys to come down here? He did it so he could hurt you like he hurt me, because he knew that was the only way to completely destroy me! You guys gave him exactly what he wanted! Do you realize what you've done?" he sobbed, tears gushing from his eyes.

His friends looked at him sadly. "James, listen to us," Kendall said. James shook his head. "No, you listen to me. You guys just made the biggest mistake of your lives. Remember how bad you guys thought I had it? Well I hate to break it to you, but you're going to have it a lot worse. And I know that you guys thought you were saving me by coming down here, but guess what? This is going to make things ten times harder on me."

"But James, you don't understand. We knew perfectly well that we were walking into a trap, but we had to at least try." Logan explained. James stared at them in shock. "You guys knew you were walking into a trap?" he whispered in disbelief. They nodded uncertainly, not liking the look that had come over his face. "You freaking knew and you still came!" he screamed. The others flinched at the horror and blind rage in his tone. "And what exactly did you accomplish by coming down here?" he demanded. "What! You guys managed to get captured, tied to chairs with no way to escape, and now Samuel is going to get to you guys too! Never, in all of the years that I've known you guys, have you ever done something so, so unbelievably stupid."

"James," they all said, but he wasn't done yet. "James," they said a little louder. Still he ignored them and continued on with his rant. "And another thing-" "JAMES!" they screamed. He broke off and glared at them. "What?" he yelled. "James, will you please just listen to us? I know you're upset-" James opened his mouth to say something but Kendall cut him off. "No! You are going to listen!" James shut his mouth reluctantly. "Fine," he muttered.

"Now, as we were saying, I know you're upset with us. You had every reason to think that we were idiots and that we're going to make everything worse. And if you knew everything that had gone on while you were here and we weren't, you'd still have every right to think those things." James stared at him with a mixture of anger and confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

"Well," Logan said, picking up where Kendall had left off, "like we said, we knew we were walking into a trap. But despite what you think, we're not complete idiots," he said. He smiled as James' confusion grew even more. "And you see," he said, his smile widening, "We have a plan."


	9. Warehouse Chase Scene

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 9

* * *

Samuel walked into the room, playing with the knife in his hand. "Okay boys, are you re-" he froze when he saw four empty chairs in front of him. He frowned and looked around, listening carefully. "I know you're out there," he growled. There was no way the boys could have gotten very far. He had been right outside the warehouse door and that was the only way in and out except for…

His head snapped up and he scanned the walkways above him, looking for the boys. There was no movement. His eyes flew to the window and he saw four figures climbing out. "Found you," he whispered, pulling out his gun. One of the boys' heads turned and he screamed, "Go!" The boy at the window scrambled out and disappeared from view. The other boys quickly followed him out and jumped as Samuel fired the gun, his bullets missing all of them. He cursed and ran for the door, already formulating a plan, but his anger and disbelief clouded his thoughts. "How did those brats get out?" he muttered to himself.

As soon as his feet hit the ground James was running. He saw his friends waiting for him by the wall of another warehouse. The gunshots stopped, but that didn't make him feel any better; if anything, it made him run faster, because the silence only meant that Stenwell was coming after them. As soon as he reached his friends he grabbed Carlos' arm and pulled, dragging him and looking at his friends desperately. "Come on!" he cried.

Minutes earlier the boys had revealed their plan. It was so incredibly simple, and the odds of it working were one in a million. But that's how most of their plans were, and they'd always gotten out of everything in one piece. If James' last shred of hope hadn't been riding on the plan, he probably would have cried at all the problems with it. Their plan was this: all three of the boys had pocket knives in their back pockets. As soon Samuel left the room they had moved around and gotten the knives out. Pulling out the blades hadn't been a picnic, nor had cutting the tape off their wrists, but once one boy had gotten out, the rest were quickly freed.

James couldn't believe how much his luck had turned. If Samuel hadn't left them alone for those few minutes, if he'd searched the boys' pockets or simply tied their hands in front of them, they'd still be stuck in the warehouse. He shook his head as he ran, still in shock. He stood by what he had said earlier: his friends were idiots. But they were lucky idiots who had gotten him and themselves away from Samuel, which made them the best people in the entire world, not that he thought of them as anything less anyway.

"In here," he panted, flinging a random door to another warehouse open and waving them inside. "Come on, go!" he said in a strained whisper. The others ran past him and he closed the door quickly but quietly behind him. He looked around, gasping for breath. Unlike the warehouse they'd just been in, which had been completely empty, this warehouse was filled with shelves. James turned to his friends, determination in his eyes. "Okay, it won't take Stenwell long to find us," he said. "So we need to find another exit. We could split up but-" "NO!" Kendall, Carlos, and Logan yelled together. "SHHHHHHH!" James said frantically. "Fine, we'll go together, but we need to move, now!" He took of down one of the aisles without looking back, knowing that the others would follow.

Sure enough, he heard footsteps pounding after him as he sprinted between shelves, trying to get to the wall. After what felt like hours, but was actually only a few seconds, the boys found the outer wall of the warehouse. "Okay guys, I think we should-" James broke off as a wave of dizziness came over him. "James!" the boys cried, rushing to his side. He shook of their helping hands as they tried to steady him. "I'm fine…" he muttered. Logan put his hand to James' forehead and bit his lip. "James, you're burning up," he said quietly. James shook his head, suppressing a groan as his headache worsened. "I'll be fine," he said. "The most important thing is that we get out of here."

Kendall shook his head. "No, the most important thing is that we get you out of here alive," he said. Logan and Carlos nodded behind him and James sighed. "Fine," he mumbled. "But we still need to get out of here." He looked at either side, trying to determine which way to go. "Which way is the exit?" he muttered to himself, looking around. "Well we came from that way," Logan said, pointing. "So if there's another exit it will probably be that way," Carlos finished, pointing to the right. James nodded and took off. "Well let's go."

The boys ran off in that direction, James in the lead. Suddenly he stopped, causing the others to slam into him. "James!" Carlos exclaimed, annoyed. "Shhhh!" James said, looking hysteric. "Listen!" he whispered. The boys fell quiet and listened carefully. "I don't-" Logan froze as he finally heard what James was talking about: a footstep. "Go!" James ordered quietly, taking off once again. The boys ran, trying to be quiet, but at that point they were only really thinking about one thing: getting the heck out of there.

The footsteps behind them picked up and James felt his heart begin to beat faster and faster. _Come on, come on…_ he thought desperately to himself. "Look!" Logan wheezed, pointing. _Door!_ James' mind felt like it was going to blow apart, but he held himself together as he sprinted towards the door, yanking it open and stepping aside as his friends ran past. He shoved the door, stopping it just as it was about to slam shut and gently let it slide into place. He stepped back and bent over, gasping for breath along with the others.

"Oh… man," Carlos gasped, gulping in as much air as his lungs could take in. "We… must be… so… out of… shape," Kendall puffed, choking on oxygen. Logan shook his head. "It's just… intense… exercise… mixed with… adrenaline… so it… makes it… harder… to breathe," he explained. The boys turned around and looked around at the room they had run into. To their dismay, they hadn't gotten out of the warehouse; they'd only run into a small office.

"Dang it," James muttered. "What do we do now?" Kendall looked around the small room again. There was a desk, a chair, a few filing cabinets, and a small closet. And right above the filing cabinets was… a window. "Guys!" he said, jumping up and down as he pointed excitedly. "If we climb up on the filing cabinets, we can climb out the window!" he said. His friends grinned at him, jumping up. "Let's go!"

Kendall went first, pulling himself up carefully and opening the window, his fingers clumsily grasping at the windowpane. Finally it opened and he turned back to look at his friends. "See you on the other side," he whispered. He went out feet first and disappeared from view. "It's all clear guys!" he called up softly. Logan went next, clambering up and sliding out the window. That left James and Carlos in the room alone. "Well, what are you waiting for?" James demanded. Carlos looked at him, biting his lip. "Maybe you should go first he said quietly."

Before James could argue a shadow passed over the window, the shape of a man visible through the shades. "GO!" James whisper yelled, pushing Carlos forward. "I'm right behind you!" Carlos scrambled up the cabinets and took one last look back. "Go, Carlos!" James said, his hands already on the piece of office furniture. Carlos jumped out the window without another word, leaving James to climb. He easily reached the top and stuck his head out the window. "Guys, I-" he broke off in a scream as a hand wrapped around his ankle, pulling him back. "James!" he heard three voices yelp. "Hel- mmmmf!" he cried as a hand pressed down on his mouth. "You didn't think you'd get away that easily did you?" Samuel whispered in his ear, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. James continued to scream as Samuel dragged him from the warehouse office, taking him further and further away from his friends.

"JAMES!" the boys screamed, crowding around the window. They paled as they saw James being dragged from the room. "No, James, no!" Carlos screamed. He tried to jump back through the window, but it was too high off the ground. "NOOO!" he wailed, stumbling back into a wall and sobbing. "I knew I should have let him go first! Ahhh, I'm so stupid!" he yelled, banging his head against the wall. "Carlos," Logan said shakily, watching as his friend banged his un-helmeted head against the brick wall. "Carlos!" he yelled, grabbing the shorter boy's shoulder. Carlos looked at him with tear filled eyes. "I tried to tell him," he sobbed, shattering Logan's heart. "I tried to get him to go first but then- and he- and I- I just went! And now he has James _again!_ Again, Logan! How many more times is this going to happen?" he asked, slumping against the wall and sliding to the ground.

"Carlos, look at me," Kendall said, stepping forward. Tears shone in his own eyes as he spoke. "Whether it happened to you or James doesn't mean anything. Either way it would have torn him apart. As much as I hate to admit it, I think… I think it's best that James was the one who Samuel got." Carlos stared at him with wide eyes, and even Logan looked shocked. "What?" they yelled together. Kendall sighed in frustration. "No, you're not getting me. I wish that James was here with us as badly as you guys do, but he's always managed to survive, right? He knows the most about Stenwell, like what sets him off and what will keep himself alive the longest. If it had been one of us, well, who knows what would happen? At least James knows what to expect and can prepare himself a little bit. I'm sure he's fine. Now come on, maybe we can save him," he said, pulling Carlos to his feet and running off. If only he knew how wrong he was…

James gasped in pain as Samuel kicked him in the ribs again, curling up as tightly as he could. Blow after blow rained down on him, pain coursing through every fiber of his being. "Please stop," he moaned. Samuel stopped his attack and grabbed James by the collar, pulling him to his feet. "You lost the right to beg for mercy a long time ago, kid," he snarled, shaking James roughly. "You and your friends always screw up everything!" he yelled, his face turning red as he continued on with his rampage. "I should have killed you a long time ago! I'll finish you off for good this time though, and that's a-" Before he could say promise the door opened with a bang. "Freeze, police!"

Minutes earlier…

Kendall, Carlos, and Logan ran down the alley between the warehouses, looking around desperately for their missing friend. "James!" they screamed desperately. "James!" All three of them jumped as a group of men stepped around the corner. Logan wasn't sure if he should be relieved or horrified; it was the police.

"What are you doing here?" they all demanded as soon as the officers were close enough to hear them. "Mrs. Knight had a locator chip put in Kendall's cell phone," one of them explained. The boys' eyes widened in disbelief. "What!" Kendall yelled. He probably would have said a lot more if Carlos hadn't cut him off again. "S-Stenwell has J-James again," he stuttered, tears still pouring from his eyes. "W-we have to s-save him." The officer nodded. "We think we might have found him, and we're about to check it out. You boys are welcome to come, but you'll have to stay behind us," he said. The boys nodded eagerly. "Let's go!"

Now…

"Hands where I can see them!" the officer yelled again. Policemen poured in through the door with guns drawn, moving to surround him. Without hesitating Stenwell pulled James in front of him and pulled out a gun. "Don't move!" he screeched maniacally. James felt himself shaking as he heard the insanity in his voice. Samuel had finally gone over the deep end. "Anyone takes a step closer and I blow his brains out!" In any other situation James would have laughed at the cheesiness of the line, but considering there was a shotgun pressed against his skull he didn't say anything.

The officers hesitated and reluctantly stopped, guns still up. One of the police officers made the mistake of lowering his gun. Samuel's head snapped over and he looked at him with wild, crazy eyes. "I warned you!" he screamed. A single shot was fired and James fell to the ground, unmoving.


	10. The Boiling Point

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 10

* * *

Samuel let out a choked gasp as his eyes traveled to his shoulder. Blood from where the police had shot him was already soaking through his shirt, staining it crimson. He tried to shake off the intense pain as the law enforcement officers starting moving in on him again. "DON'T!" he screamed wildly, using his unharmed arm to point the gun at James, who was lying on the floor, afraid to move. "Everybody out!" he yelled, cocking the gun menacingly. The leading officer clenched his teeth but signaled for his men to exit the building. Kendall, Carlos, and Logan watched with wide eyes, horrified by the turn things had taken.

When the gun had gone off, their hearts had stopped beating. When James had fallen to the ground, their lungs had stopped taking in air. When they realized that James hadn't been shot, their legs nearly gave out, because the relief they felt at that moment had completely overwhelmed them. But Stenwell was still very much alive, and determined that James wouldn't be for much longer. The last policemen backed out the warehouse and closed the door, cutting off all sight of James.

Samuel pointed the gun at James shakily, hatred and pure rage making his body tremble. "You will _not_ get away this time," he growled. "Get up!" James slowly got to his feet, feeling sick when he saw all the blood on Samuel's clothing. No matter how much he hated him, the sight of it disgusted him. And what disgusted him even more was the fact that Samuel was standing there, bleeding to death, but not dead. He was going to hold on until James could join him in death, and judging by the dangerous glint in his eyes, that would probably be in the near future.

"I should just shoot you right now, get it over with," Samuel said madly. James could see the insanity in his eyes, and part of him hoped that he would do that, because it would be simple, and painless. But clearly that's exactly what Samuel didn't want, because he said, "But that would be too easy. You've caused me way too much trouble to die that fast. Good thing I had a backup plan." James stared at him apprehensively. _Backup plan?_

Samuel pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it from hand to hand. "See, I was worried that you would escape again, and I guess my fears were sound, because look what happened? You almost got away. Now James, I'm not going to lie to you; this gunshot wound hurts like hell. It's bleeding like crazy, and I won't make it much longer. But I'll make sure I live just long enough to finish you off for good. And that, my friend, is a promise."

James watched Stenwell's every movement, his dread growing with every passing second. He paled as he realized what Samuel was holding. "You're crazy!" he cried, lunging for him. Samuel laughed and simply stepped back, watching in amusement as James slammed into the ground. "That may be, but as long as I get revenge nothing else matters. Good bye, James." He pressed the button on the detonator and James' world erupted, crashing around him in a flash of light.

Kendall, Carlos, and Logan gasped as the warehouse that they had been in moments earlier exploded. "JAMES!" they screamed. The firefighters who had come with the police jumped into action. "Let's go!" one of them shouted. Several of them ran towards the building while a few others worked to ready the hose. The boys dashed towards the building. "NO!" Logan screamed as police officers stepped in front of them, grabbing them. "Let us go!" Kendall yelled, struggling to get free. "We have to help him!" Carlos cried, thrashing as he stared in horror at the smoking building.

The officer holding Logan looked at them sadly. "Boys, there's nothing you can do. If your friend is alive in there, the firefighters will find him. You running in there won't help him, in fact it would make it a lot harder to find him if the men in there had to worry about you. Please, I know how hard this is, but-" All three boys glared at him with so much intensity that he almost took a step back. "You do _not_ know how hard this is!" Carlos screamed. "Is that your best friend in the whole world in there?" he demanded. "Is that your teammate who's been kidnapped way too many times to count?" Kendall roared, breaking free of his officer's grip. "Is that your brother who's been hurt so bad in the past week that he's almost a completely different person?" Logan shouted, tears filling his eyes. All of the policemen looked taken aback by the boys' verbal attack.

"No," one of them said gently. "That's the boy that we're supposed to protect in there. That's the kid who everyone here wants to get out alive. That's the guy who we _will_ find, so that he can be with his brothers and his family again. We're doing everything we can to save him, but you guys have to calm down and let us do our job, or we won't be able to. Okay?" The boys looked at him in surprise. They hadn't expected anyone to argue with them, let alone win. Reluctantly they nodded, turning their attention back to the burning warehouse in front of them. Despite what the officer had just said, it was taking all their will power not to run into the building. It was painful to sit back and watch helplessly as others rescued their best friend once again, and knowing that there was nothing they could do but wait.

Carlos looked at the building, trying to hold back the sobs that were threatening to burst out of him. _That should have been me,_ he thought miserably to himself. _I should be the one that they're looking for. James should be standing here, because at least I would know he was alive. That should have been me._ Finally he broke down, bawling as Kendall pulled him into a hug. Logan put his hand on his shoulder comfortingly and watched sadly as his friend cried. "It'll be okay," he murmured, but even to himself it sounded like a lie.

James opened his eyes slowly, feeling dazed. Everything sounded muffled, like he was underwater. Dimly he could hear shouting, but he was too tired to listen to what they were saying. He took a deep breath and choked as smoke filled his lungs. The shouting got closer and closer and then he felt someone beside him. "I found him!" the man yelled, but James barely heard him. He was so tired…

"James, you have to stay awake for me, okay buddy?" the man said. James was only half listening to his faint pleas, but then he heard something that got his attention. "You have to stay awake so that you can see your friends." He forced his eyes open and looked up. A firefighter stood above him, looking down at him in concern, and behind him everything was hazy. At first James thought it was because he was so sleepy, but he quickly realized that it was smoke. He turned his head to look around more and let out a choked scream.

Samuel was laying a few feet away from him in a puddle of blood. His eyes were closed, but he was smiling right at James. The boy tried to move away, panic written across his face, but he couldn't move. Strong arms wrapped around him and someone lifted him, bridal style. "He's dead, James, he can't hurt you anymore." Dead. Tears of joy filled his eyes as he repeated the word to himself over and over again. _Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead._

Samuel was finally dead, and what was even better was that James was still alive. The fireman carried him through the smoke and he choked with every breath he took but he didn't care; Samuel was dead. He was gone, and he would never come back. James was finally free of him, forever. He sighed happily and instantly regretted it as smoke filled his lungs.

James jumped as something crashed a few feet away from him, and he saw a flaming piece of wood on the ground near him. The firefighter carrying him tensed and picked up his pace, carrying James toward the exit. James saw a foggy light in front of him and then suddenly he could breathe again. Sunlight attacked his eyes as he emerged from the smoldering building and he gasped for breath as fresh, cool air filled his lungs.

Someone put something over his mouth and breathing become easier. He gulped at the sweet oxygen and he felt himself being lifted again, and he felt as though he were floating as he was loaded onto a stretcher. Paramedics rushed him towards a waiting ambulance, but he was oblivious to everything as he focused on breathing and keeping his eyes open. One was proving more difficult than the other, and he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. "James!"

He looked up drowsily as he heard his name being called, over and over again. Suddenly his friends were there, running alongside him as they screamed his name. "James! Come on, hang in there. It's okay, everything's okay, just stay awake! You're going to be fine, James, we're getting you help! Please, James, stay with us, hold on, James, hold on!" They were all yelling at him, begging for him not to leave, trying to get him to cling onto what little bit of life was left in him. Everything was getting darker, but he had to stay awake, he had to…

James' life flashed before his eyes. He saw himself as a baby, cradled in his mother's arms as his dad danced in front of them, trying to make him laugh. He saw himself as a toddler, running around with his new friend Logan in his front yard. Then there he was as a kindergartener, walking nervously with Logan into school for the first time. He was on the playground chasing Carlos in a game of tag, and then he was running next to Kendall as Carlos sprinted after them. Memories of his childhood flew across his mind and then he entered his teen years.

He saw himself playing hockey with Kendall, Carlos, and Logan. He saw himself singing at a million random times, blissful even when his friends threw whatever was handy at him. He asked out all the pretty girls on dates, sometimes dragging his friends along to double. He played countless pranks and caught tons of wild animals with his friends in the cold Minnesota winters. His friends were by his side with practically everything he did.

And then he was auditioning for Gustavo. Memories of everything that he had done in L.A. washed over him. He saw himself at singing/dancing boot camp, agreeing with everything Gustavo said. He saw himself and the guys running around the pool, pushing each other in. He saw Camille helping him with acting, himself fighting with his friends over Jo, and Stephanie scaring them all as she made her low budget horror movie. He saw Tyler hiding behind him as his mother ran by, and Katie throwing fish sticks at him for something he'd said at dinner. Every happy moment flew across his brain, and there was so much joy in them that when all the memories of what had happened in the past week came, he was hardly even daunted.

He saw Samuel leaning over him, smiling viciously as his accomplices, Jack and Aaron, watched in uncomfortable silence. He could almost feel all the bruises that Samuel had given him as he beat him repeatedly. He was rescued, and then he was doing insanely stupid things that he was convinced would save his friends and family. He was back at the Palm Woods, happy, then sick, then kidnapped again. More and more memories flooded his mind, and then suddenly it was over.

He looked up and saw that he was almost to the ambulance, and that Kendall, Carlos, and Logan were still by his side. He didn't want to die, and neither did they. He had to stay, he had to become famous with them, and grow up and have a life. He couldn't leave now, not after everything that he'd survived, after everything his friends had done for him. He had to stay, he had to live; dying was no longer an option. He raised his arm to grab Logan's sleeve and tell them that he _was_ going to be okay, that he _was_ going to live and everything _was_ going to fine and happy again. He opened his mouth, his vision still dimming. "I…" he breathed, hardly able to hear himself because of the oxygen mask. "James?" Kendall asked, looking down at him in concern. "James? James!" James took a deep breath. _I love you guys…_ he thought. Then his vision blurred and he was falling, falling, falling down… And then everything faded to black.


	11. The Final Ending

by different author

Disclaimer: I don't own anything involved in this story.

Chapter 11

* * *

The boys stood in front of the grave before them, unsure of what they should feel. Death was funny like that. People who aren't going through it say that you should celebrate it, and that you should be happy that they are in a better place. But at the same time, no matter what's happened you still feel a little sad, and you're so confused and scared. Death was something that all of the boys hated, no matter who it fell upon. They all believed that it shouldn't be a punishment, because who is it really hurting? If you're dead, you can't feel any pain, but the people you leave behind sure can.

"Samuel always kept his promises," Kendall murmured, staring at the grave. He still couldn't believe that it was all over, and the way things had ended… He sighed and Logan put his hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Yeah, he did," he said softly. None of the boys could bring themselves to look away from the piece of stone in front of them. "But he broke his last one," Carlos said, turning to look at his friends. They smiled at him from where they stood. "Yeah, he did. Thank God he did," James said.

The memory of that day was forever burned in their minds. James had come _this close_ to dying. He had passed out just as the paramedics had gotten him to the ambulance, which had probably saved his life. He'd held on for as long as he could, but if he hadn't gotten the medical attention he needed right then, he most likely wouldn't have made it. He'd told everyone that he had clung to his life, because he didn't want to die, and that he would have made it even if he hadn't gotten help right away, but whatever had happened, he was alive, and that was all that really mattered.

Now as they stood there before Samuel's grave, different emotions for fought for dominance. They were so happy and relieved that Stenwell was dead, but at the same time they were shocked and a little disappointed in themselves for thinking that. But one thought kept running through each of their minds: _it's over._

James had been released from the hospital after only a week. The doctors all said it was a miracle he had survived, what with all his injuries. He had a severe concussion from the many times Samuel had hit him over the head, and he had horrible bruising all over his body, especially on his stomach. He also had a few terrible burns, he suffered from smoke inhalation, and to top it all off he was still sick. It was amazing that he hwas still alive after all of that, but he'd done it because he had something worth fighting for: the people he loved.

Samuel had a small funeral while James was in the hospital, not that he would have gone to it anyway. Unsurprisingly, Samuel didn't have many friends, so only a few family members showed up. Kendall and Logan had passed by while Carlos waited with James at the hospital. When Stenwell's family found out who the boys were they apologized profusely, telling them that Samuel had been messed up ever since his brother, who had also been his best friends as well, had passed away seventeen years ago. Although it sounded like an excuse, all four of the boys felt a small pang of sympathy for the man who had tormented them all.

Kendall, Carlos, and Logan watched James carefully. It had been his suggestion to visit Samuel's grave. It was his way of fully convincing himself that it was all over, that Samuel couldn't hurt him anymore. Except Samuel was still hurting him. He might be dead, but he had dealt James appalling mental damage, and his parents had almost taken him back to Minnesota. Instead they had settled for getting him a therapist, whom he saw once a week, because he refused to leave L.A. and give up his dreams and his friends.

He still woke up in the middle of the night screaming, and he was probably going to for the next few months. But he was a lot less agitated during the day, something that brought them all great relief. He had to rest the first week he was back, but as soon as he was able he was running around the pool with his friends. Everything was getting back to normal, and it would be like that for a long time.

James stared at the grave in silence. So much had happened, almost all at once, and it was finally over. Samuel couldn't touch him ever again. He was gone from their lives forever, and he would never return. The boys could rest in peace at night, knowing that they would all be safe when they woke up. For the first time since it had all began, everything felt life it was going to be okay. Finally he turned to his friends, tears misting over his eyes. "Let's go," he said, smiling. The others nodded and smiled back, putting their arms around each other's shoulders as they walked over to where Mrs. Knight was waiting with Katie in her rental car.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently when she saw the tears in the boys' eyes. They nodded and gave her the first genuine smiles she'd seen in days. "Yeah, Mom, everything is fine," Kendall said. The boys piled into the car, Kendall's words echoing in their heads. _Everything is fine._ And they knew with all their hearts that it was true. Everything was fine.

* * *

 ** _That's it all you wonderful readers._**


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